Bridgeport Motorsports Park

CHESTER BLASTS TO MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL VICTORY IN FIRST EVER TRIUMPH!
NAGY, SPENCER, & CHESTER SCORE FIRST WINS OF 2025 SEASON IN BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK ACTION

Bridgeport, NJ – May 11, 2025 – Fans and Racers converge for a special Mother’s Day Sunday show at Bridgeport Motorsports Park, presented by All State Auto Glass. The event featured a full slate of Sprint Cars, 602 Sportsman, Wingless Sprint Cars, Street Stocks, & Sportsman — each division delivering its own brand of high-speed thrills. The evening produced three first-time winners for the 2025 season, while three more drivers padded their early-season win totals.

Billy Chester breaks through in the Ice Less llc Sportsman. After three and a half years of chasing victory, Billy Chester finally made his dream a reality by capturing the 25-lap 602 Sportsman feature. Brian Rogers led early before Dave Damiano surged to the front on lap two. A lap six restart opened the door for Chester, who seized the moment and powered into the lead — a lead he would not relinquish.

A late restart on lap 16 bunched the field, but Chester held strong to the finish, with Damiano and Joe Toth battling behind him for podium positions. Chester took the checkered flag followed by Damiano, Toth, Jax Yoh, and Jesse Hirthler. Zane Roth, Dylan Swinehart, Jim Wyers, Travis Hill, and Brian Rogers completed the top ten.

In the DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookie feature, Austyn Myers became the first repeat winner of the season. Myers made a last-lap pass on PJ Bozowski to take the lead and the win the first event of the evening while Mike Hughes rounded out the podium.

Nagy nabs late race Sprint victory. The DCB’s Plumbing and Heating Mid Atlantic Sprint Series produced its third different winner in as many races at Bridgeport. DJ Tanner led the opening laps before Troy Betts surged ahead. Kevin Nagy, charging from the back, took over second before halfway and eventually reeled in Betts. After several inside attempts failed, Nagy swung to the high side coming out of turn two and completed the race-winning pass.

Nagy took the win over Betts, Brian Caraber, Bob DeVault, and Dave Brown. Tanner settled for sixth, followed by Aidan Borden, Jared Kreider, Jeff Paulson, and Jeremy Kornbau, making his Bridgeport debut.

Spencer strikes, stealing victory from Ploski in Wingless Sprints. In Victory Fuel Wingless Sprint competition, JR Fulper led the early going before Stan Ploski III took control on lap six. Ploski looked poised for victory until defending champion Brian Spencer tracked him down and pounced on the final lap, taking the lead in the closing moments for a dramatic win. Ploski finished second with Fulper, Shea Wills, and Dan Leaper rounding out the top five.

Geesaman stays perfect in Street Stocks. Jason Geesaman remained perfect in Street Stock action, winning in just his second start of the season. Defending champ Nick Sandone III led the first four laps before Geesaman made his move. Sandone and Gary Bozowski battled to the line, with Bozowski edging out Sandone for second. Terry Chaney finished fourth.

Garey Jr. makes it three wins in Four Cylinder competition. Joe Garey Jr. claimed his third win of the season in the All State Auto Glass Four Cylinders — each in a different car. Lee Allen led the early laps before Garey took over on lap five. Despite Allen’s constant pressure, Garey pulled away late before Allen’s car faltered on the final lap. Scott Degler moved into second, followed by Allen, Joe Garey Sr., and Roger Kummerer.

ICE LESS LLC 602 SPORTSMAN A-MAIN (25 LAPS)

1. Billy Chester, 2. Dave Damiano, 3. Joe Toth, 4. Jax Yohn, 5. Jesse Hirthler, 6. Zane Roth, 7. Dylan Swinehart, 8. Jim Wyers, 9. Travis Hill, 10. Brian Rogers, 11. P.J. Bozowski, 12. Ronnie Solomon, III, 13. Justin Newhard, 14. Pete Serra, 15. Charley Cossaboone, 16. Tim Borror, 17. Mike Esposito, 18. John Cameron, 19. Thomas Prytchka, 20. Matt Peck, 21. Ryan Simmons, 22. Robert Tete, 23. Wayne Weaver, 24. Justine Wegner, DNS – Mike Hughes, Jr., Austyn Myers,

DCB’S PLUMBING AND HEATING MID-ATLANTIC SPRINT SERIES A-MAIN (25 LAPS)

1. Kevin Nagy, 2. Troy Betts, 3. Brian Carber, 4. Robert DeVault, 5. Dave Brown, 6. D.J. Tanner, Jr., 7. Aidan Borden, 8. Jared Kreider, 9. Jeff Paulson, 10. Jeremy Kombau, 11. Shelby Kelly, 12. Rick Stief, 13. Kenny Laureno, 14. Andrew Turpin, 15. Eddie Wagner, 16. Andy Mahan, 17. Buddy Schweibinz, 18. Dan Leaper, 19. Steve Schultz, 20. Tim Iulg, 21. Rory Janney, 22. Cody West, DNS – Ryan Schultz, Rich Janney

D.A.’S AUTO BODY & REPAIR ROOKIE SPORTSMAN FEATURE (8 LAPS)

1. Austyn Myers, 2. P.J. Bozowski, 3. Mike Hughes, Jr., 4. Justine Wegner, 5. Charley Cossaboone

VICTORY FUEL WINGLESS SPRINT A-MAIN (20 LAPS)

1. Brian Spencer, 2. Stan Ploski, III, 3. J.R. Fulper, 4. Shea Wills, 5. Dan Leaper, 6. Brendan Hires, 7. Jonathan Swanson, 8. Thomas Radivoy, 9. David Swanson

INSTA SIGNS PLUS STREET STOCK A-MAIN (15 LAPS)

1. Jasen Geesaman, 2. Gary Bozowski, 3. Nick Sandone, III, 4. Terry Chaney, 5. Mike Hughes

ALLSTATE AUTO GLASS FOUR CYLINDER A-MAIN (15 LAPS)

1. Joe Garey, Jr., 2. Eric Degler, 3. Lee Allen, 4. Joe Garey, Sr., 5. Roger Kummerer, 6. Brayden Morrison, 7. Jon Parker, 8. Kelly Fleming, 9. Rob Weil, DNS – Colin Gale, Bobby Johnson

‼️ DOUBLE HEADER WEEKEND TRACTOR PULLS SATURDAY AND AUTO RACING SUNDAY AT BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK! NEXT SUNDAY NIGHT, HARD CORE FOOT TO THE FLOOR ACTION WITH SPRINT CARS (MID ATLANTIC SPRINT SERIES) AND SLIDE JOBS GALORE WITH THE VICTORY FUEL WINGLESS SPRINT CARS & SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS AT BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK. BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY OUT FOR A GREAT NIGHT OF RACING & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT. Please Like & Share this post ‼️
🗓 Saturday May 10 – Tractor & Truck Pulls
📢 Location: 83 Floodgate Rd Swedesboro NJ 08085
🌟 LIGHT PRO TRACTORS
🌟 MODIFIED 4×4
🌟 HOT FARM TRACTORS
🌟 3.0 LIMITED PRO TRUCKS
🌟 WILD STREET TRUCKS
🏎 2:00 Pits
🎟 5:00 Grandstands (General Admission $20 & Kids 6 & under FREE)
🚦 6:30 Start Time
🗓 Saturday May 11 – Auto Racing
🌟 SPRINT CARS – Mid Atlantic Sprint Series
🌟 WINGLESS SPRINT CARS – presented by Victory Fuel
🌟 SPORTSMAN – presented by Ice Less llc.
🌟 STREET STOCKS – presented by Insta Signs Plus
🌟 4 CYLINDER STOCK CARS
🌟 ROOKIE SPORTSMAN – presented by DA’s Auto Body
🏎 3:30 Pits ($35/$45)
🎟 4:30 Grandstands ($25 Adults, $10 Students (10-15), Kids 9 & under FREE)
🚦 5:30 Cars on track
#ponymovie #kingdomofspeed #sprintcar #dirttrackracing #bridgeportspeedway #southjersey

‼️ DOUBLE HEADER WEEKEND TRACTOR PULLS SATURDAY AND AUTO RACING SUNDAY AT BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK! NEXT SUNDAY NIGHT, HARD CORE FOOT TO THE FLOOR ACTION WITH SPRINT CARS (MID ATLANTIC SPRINT SERIES) AND SLIDE JOBS GALORE WITH THE VICTORY FUEL WINGLESS SPRINT CARS & SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS AT BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK. BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY OUT FOR A GREAT NIGHT OF RACING & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT. Please Like & Share this post ‼️

🗓 Saturday May 11 –

🌟 SPRINT CARS – Mid Atlantic Sprint Series

🌟 WINGLESS SPRINT CARS – presented by Victory Fuel

🌟 SPORTSMAN – presented by Ice Less llc.

🌟 STREET STOCKS – presented by Insta Signs Plus

🌟 4 CYLINDER STOCK CARS

🌟 ROOKIE SPORTSMAN – presented by DA’s Auto Body

🏎 3:30 Pits ($35/$45)

🎟 4:30 Grandstands ($25 Adults, $10 Students (10-15), Kids 9 & under FREE)

🚦 5:30 Cars on track

#ponymovie #kingdomofspeed #sprintcar #dirttrackracing #bridgeportspeedway #southjersey

‼️ FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, TRACTOR PULLS AT BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK. ARE YOU READY FOR THE ROAR OF TRACTOR PULLING, COME OUT AND SEE THE STARS OF PULL-OFF PRODUCTIONS AS THEY COMPETE IN THE KINGDOM. Please Like & Share this post ‼️
🗓 Saturday May 10
📢 Location: 83 Floodgate Rd Swedesboro NJ 08085
🌟 LIGHT PRO TRACTORS
🌟 MODIFIED 4×4
🌟 HOT FARM TRACTORS
🌟 3.0 LIMITED PRO TRUCKS
🌟 WILD STREET TRUCKS
🏎 2:00 Pits
🎟 5:00 Grandstands (General Admission $20 & Kids 6 & under FREE)
🚦 6:30 Start Time
#ponymovie #kingdomofspeed #sprintcar #dirttrackracing #bridgeportspeedway #southjersey

‼️ THIS WEEKEND MAY 2 & 3, LIFTED N’ LOWERED TRUCK SHOW AT BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK ‼️
🗓 May 2 & 3
📢 Both Friday & Saturday times will be……
🏎 10:00 VIP Roll-In
🚦 12:00 Show Roll-In
🎟 2:00 Spectator Gates Open

Cale Ross is Boss at Bridgeport!

Track Crew Battles Weather to Deliver Another Stellar Night of Racing

Saturday night at Bridgeport Motorsports Park was full of storylines, despite dismal forecast, Bridgeport races. Cale Ross returning to victory lane after a year-long drought. Two first-time winners also emerged, as Ronnie Solomon claimed the Sportsman feature and Dan Leaper captured the Wingless Sprint Car feature. Pennsylvania Street Stock standout Jasen Geesaman traveled to New Jersey to pick up the win, and the debut of the CT525 engine added even more excitement to the evening.

Spring racing often means battling rain, wind, and cooler temperatures, but Bridgeport managed to get in another event despite tough forecast and conditions. “We’re 4-for-6 this spring, and more importantly, the four events we got in were on seasonably warm days. That makes a huge difference this time of year,” said track owner and promoter Doug Rose.

Despite an unfavorable rainy forecast, Rose and his team stuck to their plan to race. “We knew what we had to deal with and decided we could do it. Our facility drains well, and the new clay doesn’t absorb water badly,” Rose explained. With careful teamwork from John, Leroy, and Eddie, the track crew successfully managed around the showers, getting the surface race-ready.

“One of the biggest challenges is not to get caught with the track open during rain,” Rose added. “If that happens, you are done and  you’re in for a real mess to clean up later.”

Thanks to their expertise, the crew dodged the worst of the rain, a brief shower shortly after the drivers’ meeting. Once the shower ended, the team conveyed their plan to Rose and roughly 30 minutes later, cars were on track. “The track crew did an amazing job, and I also really want to thank all the Sportsman teams — they got the dirtiest cars but stuck with us,” Rose noted. Unfortunately, when rain interferes at an event at any speedway, there is always the first division to hit the track, Saturday it was the Sportsman teams. Most didn’t seem to mind the dirty cars, they were happy Bridgeport stuck it out and they were able to race while most tracks in the region had cancelled.

While the night got a little dusty towards the end due to the unusual prep schedule, the surface remained smooth and racy all night. “We got a little dusty towards the end of the night but that’s a product of not being able to do your normal process throughout the day” proclaimed Rose. Many people think, with rain, a track is going to be wet, heavy, and rough, but a lot of times it’s the opposite as you can’t do what you normally do. You must factor in what the track can take for extra water when it rains. It’s an unpredictable balance on days like this. Despite some dust, the track surface was once again impeccable. It was smooth sailing lap after lap once the rain cleared the area.

In Modified action, Kevin Hirthler who made the transition to Bridgeport this season along with his son Jesse who is a young star in the Sportsman division took the early lead and led most of the event, but Cale Ross — hungry after a near-missed win the week before — wasn’t to be denied. Ross began throwing slide jobs at Hirthler late in the race, finally completing the winning pass.

Once in front, Ross drove away from the field, with points leader Dillon Steuer moving into second. Mike Lisowski and Sam Martz Sr. completed the top five. As the laps wound down, it was clear: Cale Ross was boss at Bridgeport once again.

Another major highlight was the debut of the CT525 engine. It was announced in the drivers’ meeting that some testing would be done on Saturday evening in the Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz #51 driven by Ryan Krachun. After multiple test sessions during the night, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

“One of my biggest concerns was restarts, but it actually restarted better than our Spec engine,” said Krachun. Engine experts Don Blackshear and CJ Jones assisted with the test, and the team believes they have the right combination for Bridgeport. When Blackshear was asked how did he feel the engine performed on Bridgeport’s unique high banked, high speed track, “The engine performed very well tonight. Every time on track with Modifieds it was always one of the top 3 times amongst drivers on track. We tuned on a few things and think we have the right Control Box mapping in place for Bridgeport”

The CT525 engine offers an affordable alternative for Modified teams — fully dressed, it costs around $20,000, but with some components transfer from existing spec engines, it can be put together for about $9,500. Engines must be purchased through Bridgeport Motorsports Park or New Egypt Speedway as both Speedways want to document every 525 engine as they come into the division to ensure integrity.

“This engine will compete well with our Specs,” Krachun added. “We’re planning to race it at the next Bridgeport modified event.”

New Winners “Shine” in Support Divisions. Ronnie Solomon, age 17 found success Saturday night racing the Donna Solomon & Forge Gate Towing (his Grand Parents) #22 Sportsman Modified. Solomon picked up his first Bridgeport win, adding to his early career accomplishments. Solomon was a winner his rookie year at Grandview Speedway.

Dan Leaper was one of several drivers that transitioned to the Victory Fuel Wingless Sprint division in the last 2 years as this division has gained strength and popularity at The Kingdom of Speed. Saturday night Leaper picked up his first Wingless Sprint Car win in the family owned 24L. The Leaper family who are a key figures of weekly operations at the speedway, all celebrated an emotional victory in Champion Brands Victory Lane.

Jasen Geesaman put together what he calls an 8″ wheel car to run several Bridgeport events in 2025. Geesaman made the trek for the first time this season to Bridgeport. Also making his season debut was former Bridgeport Street Stock Champion Tom Wills Jr. Geesaman and Wills Jr. put on a fierce battle with Geesaman parking it in Champion Brands victory lane followed by Wills, Mike Hughes, and Jimmy Combs.

In the Rookie Sportsman division, Mike Hughes captured the victory over a hard charging PJ Bozowski and John Gladmon picked up the Vintage Modified win.

Up next at Bridgeport, the Lifted-N-Lowered Truck Show will take place this weekend (March 2–3). Two weeks later, the first-ever Pull-Off Productions Tractor & Truck Pull will happen Saturday, May 10, followed by a full day of racing on Sunday, May 11, featuring winged and wingless Sprint Cars and Sportsman Modifieds.

Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Modifieds
1. Cale Ross 2. Dillon Steuer 3. Kevin Hirthler 4. Mike Lisowski 5. Sam Martz Sr. 6. Billy Pauch Jr. 7. Brandon Grosso 8. Mike Franz 9. Cole Stangle 10. Colby Frye 11. Neal Williams 12. Rick Laubach 13. Justin Grosso 14. Stan Frankenfield 15. Billy Osmun 16. Roger Manning 17. Kris Thompson 18. Sammy Martz Jr. 19. Ryan Krachun 20. Matt Stangle 21. Frank Cozze 22. HJ Bunting

Ice Less Sportsman
1. Ronnie Solomon 2. Matt Peck 3. Joe Toth 4. Travis Hill 5. Jax Yohn 6. Jesse Hirthler 7. Howie Finch 8. Dylan Swinehart 9. Brad Roberts 10. Luke Bunting 11. Billy Chester 12. Ryan Higgs 13. Thomas Prychka 14. Nick VanWickle 15. David Jenkins 16. Robert Tete 17. Mike Hughes 18. Wayne Weaver 19. Dave Damiano 20. Brian Rogers 21. Ethan Young 22. Craig Pellegrini 23. PJ Bozowski 24. Pete Serra 25. Jim Wyers

Victory Fuel Wingless Sprint Cars
1. Dan Leaper 2. JR Fulper 3. Stan Ploski 4. Brian Spencer 5. Thomas Radivoy 6. David Swanson 7. Jonathon Swanson 8. Heidi Hedin 9. Kurt Sodano 10. Wayne Scott 11. Michael Beckett

Insta Signs Street Stocks
1. Jasen Geesaman 2. Tom Wills Jr 3. Mike Hughes 4. Jimmy Combs 5. Nick Sandone III 6. Gary Klimeczak 7. Terry Chaney 8. Spider Ensinger Sr. 9. Gary Bozowski 10. Joe Edwards 11. Spider Ensinger Jr.

DA’s Auto Body Rookie Sportsman
1. Mike Hughes 2. PJ Bozowski 3. Austin Myers 4. Jacob Masker 5. Charlie Cossaboone 6. Randy Whitaker

Vintage Modifieds – John Gladmon

‼️ THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, HARD CORE FOOT TO THE FLOOR ACTION WITH THE GROUND POUNDING MODIFIEDS AND SLIDE JOBS GALORE WITH THE VICTORY FUEL WINGLESS SPRINT CARS AT BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK. BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY OUT FOR A GREAT NIGHT OF RACING & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT. Please Like & Share this post ‼️

🗓 Saturday April 26 – presented by Inta Signs Plus

🌟 MODIFIEDS – presented by Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz

🌟 WINGLESS SPRINT CARS – presented by Victory Fuel

🌟 SPORTSMAN – presented by Ice Less llc.

🌟 STREET STOCKS

🌟 VINTAGE MODIFIEDS

🌟 ROOKIE SPORTSMAN

🏎 3:00 Pits ($35/$45)

🎟 4:00 Grandstands ($25 Adults, $10 Students (10-15), Kids 9 & under FREE)

🚦 5:00 Cars on track

#ponymovie #kingdomofspeed #sprintcar #dirttrackracing #bridgeportspeedway #southjersey

Dominick Buffalino was pleased to bring Bonita Hynemann her first win as the car owner of the Big Spring Car Wash No. 126 as he raced to the win in the thirty lap Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Modified feature at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park on Saturday night.  Matt Peck gave the Danny Sommerling No. 51 their first win of the season with his victory in the Ice Less 602 Sportsman main event while Austyn Myers picked up the win in the first DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookie feature.  Jonathan Swanson became the first repeat winner in the Victory Fuel Wingless Sprints while Eric Degler became the first repeat winner in the Four Cylinder competition.  Saturday night’s events were sponsored by Searock Landscape and Snow Management.  

Frank Cozze led the field of Modifieds to the green flag and led the first three laps as Cale Ross battled for second with Justin Grosso.  Ross raced by Cozze on lap four and started to pull away from the field before the first caution with six laps scored.  Buffalino moved into second one lap later and quickly closed in on the leader.  At the crossed flags, Ross and Buffalino were side-by-side with Buffalino pulling ahead on the next circuit.

Buffalino set a blistering pace as he scored lap after lap.  Ross was able to keep ahead of the battle that was waged behind him for third among defending track champion, Billy Pauch, Jr., Dillon Steuer and Billy Osmun III.  Steuer kept working the bottom, finally getting ahead of Pauch with less than two laps to go.

It was Buffalino for the win over Ross, Steuer, Pauch and Osmun.  Colbey Frye finished sixth at the checkered followed by Cozze, Brandon Grosso, Mike Franz and Neal Williams.  

Matt Peck picked up the win in the Ice Less 602 Sportsman feature, taking the lead from young Ronnie Solomon on lap fifteen in a race that ran green to checkered without a single caution.  That meant plenty of lapped traffic for the leaders but Peck’s patience and experience paid dividends as he raced through traffic to take the lead.

After leading the first fourteen laps, Solomon finished second as he raced to his best Bridgeport finish t date.  Wayne Weaver was third followed by Howie Finch and Joe Toth whose late race charge resulted in a top five finish.  Toth had been battling for many laps just outside the top five with Ethan Young and Ethan Bill.  Bill finished sixth followed by Young,  Dave Damiano, Billy Chester and Jax Yohn.  

The first DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookie feature insured some very close battles among this year’s class.  In spite of their very limited experience, there was a three car battle contending for the lead with Austyn Myers taking the win over Mike Hughes and PJ Bozowski.  Hunter Ploski finished fourth with Charley Cossaboon rounding out the top five.

Jonathan Swanson raced to his second win of the season in the Victory Fuel Wingless Sprints after taking the lead at the wave of the green.  Swanson led every lap on his way to the victory.  Thomas Radivoy raced his way through the field to finish second while Stan Ploski III bested defending champion, Brian Spencer for fourth.  Brandon Hires finished fifth in the twenty-five lap contest.

The battle for the win came right down to the final lap in the Four Cylinder feature as Lee Allen battled with Scott Degler.  There was some exchange of paint as the two drivers raced for the win with Degler taking his second of the season.  Allen finished second followed by Roger Kummerer, Joe Garey, Sr. and Colin Gale.

DANNY’S PIZZA PIZZAZZ MODIFIED A-MAIN (30 LAPS) –

1. Dominck Buffalino, 2. Cale Ross, 3. Dillon Steuer, 4. Billy Pauch, Jr., 5. Billy Osmun, III, 6. Colbey Frey, 7. Frank Cozze, 8. Brandon Grosso, 9. Mike Franz, 10. Neal Williams, 11. Justin Grosso, 12. Ryan Krachun, 13. Sammy Martz, Jr., 14. Rick Laubach, 15. Cole Stangle, 16. Kevin Hirthler, 17. Sam Martz, Sr., 18. Stan Frankenfield, Jr., 19. Blaine Bracelin, 20. Roger Manning, 21. Mike Lisowski, 22. Wade Hendrickson, 23. David Hunt.

ICE LESS LLC 602 SPORTSMAN A-MAIN (25 LAPS) –

1. Matt Peck, 2. Ronnie Solomon, 3. Howie Finch, 4. Joe Toth, 5. Wayne Weaver, 6. Ethan Bill, 7. Ethan Young, 8. Dave Damiano, 9. Billy Chester, 10. Jax Yohn, 11. Travis Hill, 12. Matt Ellery, 13. Zane Roth, 14. Jesse Hirthler, 15. Pete Serra, 16. Jim Wyers, 17. Robert Tete, 18. David Jenkins, 19. Mike Hughes, Jr. 20. Brian Rogers, 21. Mike Esposito, 22. P.J. Bozowski, 23. Craig Pellegrini, 24. Dan Cogdill, 25. Tim Borror, DNS – Austyn Myers, DNQ – Hunter Ploski, Scott Hulmes, Charley Cossaboone, Randy Whitaker, Kenny Ott, Evan Luce

D.A. AUTO BODY & REPAIR ROOKIES FEATURE (8 LAPS) –

1. Austyn Myers, 2. Mike Hughes, Jr., 3. P.J. Bozowski, 4. Hunter Ploski, 5. Charley Cossabone, 6. Randy Whitaker, 7. Evan Luce

VICTORY FUEL WINGLESS SPRINT A-MAIN (25 LAPS) –

1. Jonathan Swanson, 2. Thomas Radivoy, 3. Stan Ploski, III, 4. Brian Spencer, 5. Brandon Hires, 6. Shea Wills, 7. Dan Leaper, 8. Joe Kata, 9. Heidi Hedin, 10. Frank Hasco, 11. Kurt Sodano, 12. Joe Byer, 13. David Swanson, 14. Dirk Rimrott, DNS – Dillon Steuer, J.R. Fulper

FOUR CYLINDER A-MAIN (15 LAPS) –                                                    

1. Eric Degler, 2. Lee Allen, 3. Roger Kummerer, 4. Joe Garey, Sr., 5. Colin Gale, 6. John Parker, 7. Brayden Morrison, 8. Danielle Cook, DNS – Tim Jones, Kevin Carr, Tom

$10,000 “NOT” to Win? Sportsman Nationals Flips the Script on Racing Strategy

The Sportsman racing world is buzzing after Frank Cozze and Doug Rose announced a game-changing twist for the 2025 Harry’s U-Pull-It Sportsman Grand Nationals: $10,000 for finishing third.

Yes, you read that right—third place pays the most.

In an industry where complaints often center on all the big money going to the winner, Cozze and Rose are turning that notion on its head. Racers now have to think differently. With the right strategy, drivers could still pocket over $7,000 for the win or $5,500 for second—but third? That’s the golden spot.

“Racing is entertainment, and this concept is going to add a ton of drama and excitement,” said Rose. “Fans will be lined up at the gates just to see how this plays out.”

For the 100-lap Nationals will it be Strategy Over Speed? Drivers usually plan their fuel loads, tire conservation, and aggression levels. Now, they’ll also have to decide what’s more important: the glory of the win, or the biggest paycheck.

“With Cozze’s twist, drivers have to think about whether they want to win, or go for the $10,000 sitting in third place,” added Rose. “This is going to add a whole new layer to the strategies teams put in place.”

Cozze addressed concerns from fans and drivers alike. “People are joking about guys jamming the brakes on at the finish, but that’s not realistic,” he said. “If you slam on the brakes, you’re more likely to finish tenth than third. If you want to hit that third spot, you’ll need to plan it out well before the final lap. I think the last five laps are going to be absolutely wild.”

Big Bonuses and Big Payouts. Thanks to long-time supporter Giel’s Automotive, there’s a $1,000 bonus for the leader with two laps to go and another $1,000 for the driver running third at halfway. The winner will also receive a set of Integra Shocks valued at $1,200, and multiple other cash prizes and giveaways will be awarded.

“I wanted the halfway point to serve as a test run,” Cozze said. “Let them figure out what it takes to get to third, and then decide how they want to finish the race.”

Dave Adams, of DA’s Auto Body will be heading up lap money bringing even more bonuses to the 100 lap feature event. If a driver plays his strategy correctly he could inch closer to that $10,000 threshold.

The Harry’s U-Pull-It Sportsman Grand Nationals is more than a race—It’s an Experience. The historic event returns October 10–11, with open practice for all divisions available Thursday, October 9. The Friday night program features four 20-lap qualifiers, each paying $500 to win, $300 for second, and $100 for third. Saturday’s main event includes a last-chance qualifier followed by the 100-lap showdown.

Supporting divisions for both nights include Sprint Cars (Mid Atlantic Sprint Series), 4 Cylinder Stock Cars, and Vintage Modifieds.

Tech will remain thorough for this event as the RUSH Series returns for technical inspection duties, with Bridgeport tech official, Pete Telesco assisting.

Last year’s inaugural event drew 58 Sportsman cars from across NY, NJ, PA, DE, and MD. Rose expects even more in 2025, with potential entries from Canada. “Donovan Lussier came down from Quebec and won $4,444 in his first visit. That kind of buzz is spreading.”

“This is a weekend for the Sportsman teams,” said Rose. “They deserve their time in the spotlight and the chance to race for real money. But even more, we wanted to give them a fun, stress-free atmosphere.”

The weekend also includes free camping, a Friday night after-party and bonfire, and a sense of community not often found at big-money events.

‼️ THE ROAR OF THE MODIFIEDS RETURN THIS SATURDAY AS MANY OF THE TOP DRIVERS CONVERGE EACH AND EVERY WEEK AT THE KINGDOM OF SPEED FOR WEEKLY @DANNYS PIZZA PIZZAZZ MODIFIED RACING, Plus Wingless Sprint Cars, Sportsman, 4 Cylinders, Vintage & Rookies. BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY OUT FOR A GREAT NIGHT OF RACING & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT. Please Like & Share this post ‼️

🗓 Saturday April 19 – presented by Searock Landscape & Snow Management

🌟 MODIFIEDS – presented by Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz

🌟 WINGLESS SPRINT CARS – presented by Victory Fuel

🌟 SPORTSMAN – presented by Ice Less llc.

🌟 4 CYLINDER STOCK CARS

🌟 VINTAGE MODIFIEDS

🌟 ROOKIE SPORTSMAN

🏎 3:00 Pits ($35/$45)

🎟 4:00 Grandstands ($25 Adults, $10 Students (10-15), Kids 9 & under FREE)

🚦 5:00 Cars on track

#ponymovie #kingdomofspeed #sprintcar #dirttrackracing #bridgeportspeedway #southjersey